A Special Day: A Mother?s Memoir of Love, Loss, and Acceptance After the Death of Her Daughter

February 29th is a date that comes into existence just once every four years. It is also the birthday of Thaïs—author Anne-Dauphine Julliand’s darling daughter—who died of a genetic disease. Thaïs lived just shy of her fourth birthday. She had a short life but good one.

As this special day is about to reappear on her calendar for the first time since her daughter passed away, Anne-Dauphine struggles with how to mark this momentous occasion. She wants to live fully on this special day: Thais ...